Paddy Power wonders about Wonder Woman movie
Sometimes Hollywood makes no sense at all. Here’s the film industry cranking out every conceivable remake of works from every adaptable genre – books, TV, comic books … especially comic books. After a year in which the box office was ruled by first “Iron Man” then “The Dark Knight,” we can expect years and years of superhero flick after superhero flick. Seriously: “Ghost Rider II” is coming. And the “Green Lantern” movie. And “Thor” – directed by Kenneth Branagh, he of the Shakespeare flicks, no less.
So here’s a question. Where the hell is the Wonder Woman live-action movie?
Seriously, isn’t this is no-brainer? Isn’t Wonder Woman a household name of a sort that few comic book heroes outside of Superman, Batman and Spiderman have ever been before their on-screen adaptations? And how could two hours devoted to the screen time of one hot scantily-clad female who kicks ass in the streets? (Plus, don’t forget our heroine’s origin story, which would take place on Paradise Island, home of the like scantily-clad all-female Amazon race, and could occupy, what, the first 30 minutes of a feature film?)
And yet, the Wonder Woman Movie Project remains infinitely delayed, kept alive only in the rumor form incubated nicely on the internet. For years, the casting for a would-be “Wonder Woman” flick has resulted in dialogue similar to the old Superman “It’s a bird, it’s a plane” bit: It’s Megan Fox! No, it’s Megan Gale! No, it’s Beyonce Knowles! Oh, and it’s definitely not Megan Fox after all! It’s Eliza Dushku for sure!
From the chaos enters Paddy Power and the bookmaker’s “Who will play Wonder Woman?” proposition bet. Fans of the Amazon shouldn’t let this prop get their hopes up, but the fantasies may begin now. A few of this Wonder Woman enthusiast’s rave faves would include the following.
• Liv Tyler, 6/1. Yes, this is the proper casting choice. She can even act, but don’t count that against here. Please sign Liv now, Mr. Warner Bros movie executive. Now. Please.
• Eliza Dushku, 4/1. Not only is “Eliza Dushku Wonder Woman” a popular enough search term that Google fills it in should you start typing, but Dushku’s been on the “Wonder Woman list” since at least 2005. Plus, good ol’ Eliza has publicly stated that my favorite superhero is “hot” and that she would take the part if called upon. Finally, Lynda Carter has given her approval for giving Dushku the role. Like that means anything.
• Rachel Bilson, 6/1. Another actress long linked with the role, Bilson was reported to have been cast in the non-existent part back in 2006. Plus, Rachel’s already played the part for about 67 seconds on “The O.C.” Well, sort of.
• Jessica Biel, 12/1. Though not personally a big fan of the geek boys’ favorite poster girl, this casting would certainly bring cachet to a Wonder Woman silver-screen adaptation. And “cachet” here means “potential for thousands of positive reviews online within seconds of the first screening.” Imagine the buzz on Ain’t It Cool News alone … then again, it didn’t save “Watchmen”…
• Catherine Zeta-Jones, 14/1. Zeta-Jones also has the look for the Amazon superheroine, though she may be a bit aged for a young immortal woman – on the other hand, nothing a little CGI couldn’t fix. And if producers decide to have their Wonder Woman project that utterly vacant look Lynda Carter had to wear constantly in the TV series, well, hey, Zeta’s the gal!
• Megan Fox, 25/1. Megan certainly has the look and, one suspects, will be hankering for this high a high-profile role come 2013 or so. After calling Wonder Woman a “lame superhero” and stating explicitly that she “[doesn’t] want to do” a movie based on the character, odds on her casting in this role plummeted; good luck to Megan in Transformers III and IV there – dare to be great, babe.
Ah well, we still have Eliza…
The remainder of candidates in Paddy Power’s “Who will play Wonder Woman?” novelty bet are as follows. Please note that, in order to cash in, the movie “Must happen by 2012,” a condition that could well go unmet. (Sigh.)
Megan Gale: 5/1
Hilary Swank: 8/1
Kristin Kreuk: 8/1
Beyonce Knowles: 8/1
Anna Friel: 10/1
Jennifer Garner: 10/1
Sophia Bush: 12/1
Michelle Ryan: 14/1
Hayden Panettiere: 16/1
Angelina Jolie: 18/1
Sandra “Never Mind The” Bullock: 18/1
Teri Hatche: 20/1
Charlize Theron: 20/1
Sarah Michelle Gellar: 25/1
Reese Witherspoon: 33/1
Cameron Diaz: 40/1
Mariah Carey: 50/1
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